Commentary

When a driver goes to close the trailer doors after a shipment is loaded, even though standing at ground level rather than in the trailer or otherwise level with the load, would he be able to discover improper loading or securing?

A simmering trade dispute between the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada underscores how the global aviation market has become one of the richest opportunities for logistics and shipping firms.

The prioritization of ultra-large container ships at ports delays shipments by smaller container ships, and increases the risk of damage to cargo and ships.

Businesses today have more resources and technology than ever to manage their logistics processes.

The world was shocked by the British citizens’ decision on June 24, 2016, to withdraw their nation from the European Union.

As long as there are plentiful avenues for the flow of US commerce in and among the ports of the United States, Canada, and Mexico, does diversion matter?

The US system is challenged when it comes to chassis and, by extension, the need to provide a sustainable working environment for truckers.

As criminals grow more creative in efforts to circumvent the law, the US Customs and Border Protection is implementing new enforcement tools.

Some issues in ocean shipping are so predictable that you can plan for them, yet others are not so predictable.

Automotive rules of origin are the real sticking factor.

The Trump administration‘s initial reluctance and eventual decision to waive the Jones Act for hurricane relief in Puerto Rico has reignited the decades-old debate on the 1920 law.

A carrier would be hard-pressed to refute a damage claim unless its representative had also inspected the goods, despite a shipper’s lack of photographic evidence.

A joint rail and trans-Atlantic routing could take about 27 days. Trains are getting faster and ocean carrier reliability is better on the trans-Atlantic than on Asian services.

The new US administration, challenges by Uber Freight and Convoy, and the recent catastrophic hurricanes are just a few of the changes, challenges, and disruptions the trucking and freight industries have faced.

A recent CITA report states that when 5G is rolled out in the 2020s, it will have the potential to transform the freight sector. It will make the digital framework that supports the industry even more “capable, efficient, and intelligent” than it is now.

Increased data reliability and cloud-based supply chain synchronization capabilities are enabling retailers, distributors, and manufacturers to implement collaborative initiatives within the supply chain.

If the mindset is “this is a unique opportunity to make money,” and profitability replaces market share as the objective of container lines, then the carriers could start making the level of returns that are required to be a sustainable business.

So far, 2017 looks like a mini version of 2010, where carrier fortunes rebounded off a year of multibillion-dollar losses to produce a year of multibillion-dollar gains. Now the question is how fully those gains can be preserved.

Amazon.com recently hosted a hiring day where it sought to recruit 50,000 new employees.

The persistent rumors of takeover and mergers among leading logistics firms in recent months could be about to translate into reality.

Canada is quietly creating an environment for trade diversification.

Intermodal’s historical value proposition has been to look like truck and offer a discount to incent diversion.

A lien ultimately gives you the right to dispose of the goods that are the subject of the lien unless the underlying payment obligation is satisfied. However, you can do so only if you fulfill specified conditions beforehand involving notification to the owner.

The sudden closure of the Rhine Valley Alpine rail track in southwest Germany could not have come at a worse time for Europe’s rail freight industry.

The European Union is the United Kingdom’s largest trading partner, accounting for almost half of its exports.

It should not take a hurricane to drive home the importance of crisis planning.

Against a favorable economic backdrop, intermodal business has made promising gains this year, and that is likely to continue.

At what point does it become imperative that a beneficial cargo owner or transportation provider get deeply embedded in the new wave of container shipping technology? And is it too late to start?

Hurricane Harvey’s devastating longer-term logistics effects, which cannot be minimized, will be felt mostly in landside capacity, with drivers and trucks diverted to what will be an extraordinary rebuilding effort likely to last well more than a year.

The stars are aligning for a big capacity crunch this autumn, and Mother Nature sure is not helping.

Few ocean carriers seem to have any interest in recovering what could easily be millions of dollars in revenue, and saving countless thousands or millions of dollars in internal processing costs.

A motor carrier cannot be held liable for things beyond its control or knowledge because of some act of the shipper in the loading and/or packaging of the goods.

Oakland effectively crossed the chasm between the old and new industries, putting it at the vanguard of a transition on the West Coast that will likely see terminal consolidation at Los Angeles-Long Beach, which has 13 terminals across the two ports, and perhaps further consolidation in the Pacific Northwest.

The wake-up call to the cost of unsustainably priced freight sent by the demise of Hanjin Shipping may be short-lived.

There are several supply chain scenarios where vehicle container shipping deserves to be a bigger part of the logistics discussion.

Port access channels are essential components of ports, dictating the size of vessels that can call there.

Creating efficient, compliant trade processes is essential for competing in today’s global economy, yet many businesses still struggle to gain control over their customs operations.

An authorized extension of credit to a shipper gives a carrier a lien on a shipment for unpaid past freight charges.

Differences of only a few percent in terms of the effect of the ELD mandate on capacity could make a big difference in the trucking environment. Even given the uncertainty, it would be a grave error for shippers to assume that warnings of ELD-related disruption are simply another false alarm.